Let’s Set Up Satellite Police Offices In Our Schools

By Wayne Addessi

Monday, March 11, 2013

To the Editor:

Simpsonville, a South Carolina town, has added police to their schools at no added costs to taxpayers with satellite police offices and an officer at no added cost to taxpayers. Other towns appear to engaging in this as well with no added cost to taxpayers, and Newtown should look at this as well.

Police in our schools – both my wife and I agree, like so many, yes they must be there daily. The question is to how do this intelligently so that we accomplish the goals of protection but also planning so that financially it is the cost effective and the operations are the most effective and practical. Safety and operationally we live in a new era now and ideas should be flowing steadily, so here is a new one for us all to consider.

This thought came to me several weeks ago to create satellite offices for police in the schools where police can function as if they were in police headquarters and protect us, our kids, and faculty at the same time. Well sure enough, other towns are embracing and functioning this way at what appears to be at a minimal added cost, and some are saying no added costs to taxpayers. .

Having satellite offices in schools around town should be a solution to consider whereby you create a safety net in all the schools, keep the cost of police protection at a reasonable rate of increase, and enable officers to function daily. Let’s face it – simply having police in the schools and just monitoring who walks in and out may not be the smartest plan on its own. We have more than one firehouse don’t we, and so too do other towns?

Take a look at this story in Simpsonville, South Carolina and other towns too. If Newtown has not considered this idea, I think it should be and could be a practical cost effective method. Police should be able to function with their daily activity, but also keep our kids and faculty safe.

If you care to see the story online please go to this web link to see a part of this story that was featured on the Today Show.